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The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra (Sanskrit: Prajñā Pāramitā Hridaya Sūtra) is a well known Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture. Notable for its brevity, concision and clarity, the Heart Sutra is considered to represent the core teachings of the much longer Perfection of Wisdom sutras, hence its name. The sutra fits easily on a single manuscript page.
The study of the Heart Sutra is particularly emphasized in the Zen sects, and its Chinese version is frequently chanted (in the local pronunciation) during ceremonies in China, Japan, and Korea.
Some scholars believe that the Heart Sutra was originally composed in China and only later translated into Sanskrit. However this appers to be a minority position; most hold that the Sanskrit is the original, even though the Chinese version has undoubtedly been more influential.
The Heart Sutra contains a famous mantra or dharani, which appears in Sanskrit words even in the Chinese version, merely transliterated into Chinese characters:
Gate gate
Pāragate
Pārasamgate
Bodhi svāhā
(Approximate pronunciation: gah-tay gah-tay pah-ra-gah-tay pah-ra-sahm-gah-tay bo-dee swah-hah)
A common translation which renders the first three lines as past passive participles:
Gone gone
Gone beyond
Altogether gone beyond
Enlightenment, how wonderful!
Another translation, in the active tense, by Gehlek Rinpoche (Cleveland, Ohio, 2 October 2004):
Do like this:
Go! Go!
Go Beyond!
Completely Go beyond!
To Perfect Wisdom, Let it Be!
prajnaparamita hridaya sutra (Perfection Of Wisdom Heart Sutra)
arya-avalokitesvaro bodhisattvo gambhirayam prajnaparamitayam caryam caramana vyavalokayati sma panca skandhas tams ca svabhava sunyan pasyati sma
The noble Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva, practicing deep prajnaparamita, saw the five skandhas as empty.
iha sariputra rupam sunyam sunyataiva rupam rupam na virtya sunyata sunyataya na prithag sa rupam yad rupam sa sunyata ya sunyata sa rupam
Here, Shariputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Form is not different from emptines, emptiness not different from form. Form is precisely emptiness, emptiness is precisely form.
evam eva vedana samjna samskara vijnanam
And thus also feeling, thought, volition and consciousness are emptiness.
iha sariputra sarva dharma sunyata laksana anutpanna aniruddha amala avimala anuna aparipurnah
Here, Shariputra, all dharmas are emptiness, characterized by being without beginning or end, neither defiled nor immaculate, neither deficient nor complete.
tasmat sariputra sunyatayam na rupam na vedana na samjna na samskara na vijnanam na caksuh srotra ghrana jihva kaya manah sa na rupa sabda gandha rasa sprastavya dharmah na caksur dhatur ya van na mano vijnanam dhatur na vidya na vidya ksayo ya varana jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo na duhkha samudaya nirodha margajna na jnanam na prapti na bhisamaya
Therefore, Shariputra, in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, no volition, no consciousness, no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind, no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought, no realm of the eye, no realm of the mind. There is no ignorance and no end to ignorance, no old age and death and no end to old age and death, no suffering and no end to suffering, no path. There is no wisdom, no attainment or non-attainment.
tasmari na prapti tvad bodhisattva prajnaparamita asritya viha ratya citta avarano citta avarano na siddhitvad atrasto vipa ryasa a ti kranto ni stha nirvana
Therefore, because there is no attainment, the bodhisattva dwells in reliance on prajnaparamita, with no hindrance to the heart-mind. Having no hindrance to the heart-mind, the bodhisattva is without fear. Having no wrong views, the bodhisattva surely realizes nirvana.
tryadhva-vyavasthitah sarva buddhah prajnaparamitam asritya anuttaram samyaksambodhim abdhisambuddhah
All the buddhas of the three eras (past, present and future) dwell in reliance on prajnaparamita and realize the unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment.
tasmat jnata vyam prajnaparamita mahamantram mahavidyamantram anuttaramantram samasama mantram sarva duhkha prasamano sa tyam ami thyatvat prajnaparamitayam ukto mantrah tadyatha GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
Therefore let it be known the mantra of prajnaparamita, the great mantra, the great clarity mantra, the supreme mantra, the unexcelled mantra, the mantra that ends all suffering, the true mantra is the prajnaparamita mantra spoken thus: Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
External links
- Heart Sutra (http://kr.buddhism.org/zen/sutras/conze.htm) translated into English by Edward Conze.
- Heart Sutra (http://www.lamrim.com/hhdl/heartsutra.html) at LamRim.com.
- Heart Sutra (http://www.asiawind.com/art/callig/doxinc.gif) in Chinese calligraphy.
Recommended Reading
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